Bullseye Explained: Who Is Daredevil Villain

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When it comes to great Daredevil villains, the only character who can give Kingpin a run for his money is Bullseye. This deadly assassin has been a thorn in Matt Murdock’s side for years. And now Netflix has revealed that he’ll be making his MCU debut in Daredevil Season 3.

To help get you up to speed, here’s everything you need to know about this feared killer who almost never misses his target.

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Watch the video above to learn why Bullseye is dressed like Daredevil in the new season.

Bullseye Explained: The Basics

The Marvel Universe is full of deadly costumed assassins, but Bullseye is the man you turn to when you absolutely need the job done right. As one of the best marksmen alive, Bullseye almost never misses his target, and no job is too difficult, dangerous or downright evil for this amoral killer.

The only hero who’s consistently confounded Bullseye over the years is Daredevil. The two have built up one of the most heated rivalries in the Marvel Universe. But no matter how many loves ones and innocent bystanders Bullseye claims, he can never seem to defeat the Man Without Fear.

Bullseye’s Powers and Abilities

Bullseye technically has no superhuman powers, though his aim is so incredible it may as well be superhuman. Bullseye can turn just about any object into a deadly projectile, be it a knife, a bullet, a paperclip or even a tooth. He can hit his targets with pinpoint accuracy from almost any distance or angle. Only heroes like Daredevil or Spider-Man, who can sense these attacks coming, stand a chance of surviving a run-in with Bullseye.

Bullseye also had his spine reinforced with pieces of adamantium after nearly dying in a fall. The same metal that coats Wolverine’s bones, this adamantium makes Bullseye resistant to injury and capable of bending and contorting his body in ways that most people would find extremely uncomfortable.

Bullseye: Origin and Background

Bullseye was created by writer Marv Wolfman and artist John Romita, Sr. and first debuted in 1969’s Nick Fury: Agent of SHIELD #15, where he was hired by Hydra to assassinate Nick Fury. Obviously, that didn’t work out. Bullseye would resurface several years later as a villain in Daredevil, a book where he found his true supervillain calling.

It wasn’t long before a bitter rivalry formed between the two characters and Bullseye became obsessed with proving himself Daredevil’s better. In more ways than one, Bullseye became the Joker to Daredevil’s Batman. Like Joker, Bullseye has a past shrouded in mystery and half-truths. Some people say he’s an ex-baseball pitcher who grew so bored after throwing a perfect game that he killed the batter. Others say he grew up in a broken home and used his marksman talent to fake his father’s suicide. Also like Joker, Bullseye has developed a habit of surviving near-death experiences and always returning to make Matt Murdock’s life miserable.

His defining supervillain moment came in Daredevil #181, where he murdered Elektra in a failed attempt to impress Kingpin. Daredevil repaid Bullseye by dropping him from a telephone wire and leaving him paralyzed.

Unfortunately, that wasn’t the end of this deadly villain. Bullseye was later recruited by Lord Dark Wind, the man responsible for creating the adamantium bonding process. He would continuously resurface in the Daredevil comic, eventually claiming the life of another one of Matt Murdock’s girlfriends when he murdered Karen Page in a story called “Guardian Devil.”

In recent years, Bullseye has shifted from fighting characters like Daredevil and Punisher to taking a more active role in the Marvel Universe. He even joined Norman Osborn’s Dark Avengers, a team of villains masquerading as heroes, and stole the mantle of Hawkeye.

Bullseye finally pushed Daredevil too far in Shadowland, a story which dealt with Matt Murdock falling to the dark side and becoming leader of the Hand. Daredevil finally killed his nemesis and attempted to resurrect him as a servant of the Hand. Daredevil’s allies prevented that resurrection, fortunately.

As he so often does, Bullseye managed to cheat death yet again and has now gone back to being one of the most feared and reliable assassins in the Marvel Universe.

Bullseye: Beyond the Comics

Despite being one of the more popular villains in the Marvel Universe, Bullseye hasn’t had a great deal of exposure outside the comics. That’s probably because his penchant for murder makes him a difficult sell on Marvel’s more family-friendly animated series. Bullseye’s biggest non-comics role came in the 2003 Daredevil movie, where he was played by Colin Farrell.

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Watch a clip from Bullseye’s first live-action appearance above.

Bullseye has also appeared in a number of Marvel video games. He was a major boss character in the 2005 Punisher video game (voiced by Stephen Blum), and he’s also appeared in games like Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2, Marvel Future Fight and the LEGO Marvel Super Heroes series.

Now Bullseye makes his MCU debut in the third season of Netflix’s Daredevil series. Actor Wilson Bethel plays an FBI agent named Poindexter who takes on the identity of Daredevil himself, apparently in an effort to discredit the hero.

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